الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Exposure to substances of abuse can affect individuals across the lifespan, starting in utero. Recent advances in the field of magnetic resonance based neuroimaging have greatly improved understanding of alterations in brain structure, function and metabolism resulting from prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse. Substance abuse during pregnancy has been associated with variety of adverse effects range from low birth weight to behavioral and cognitive deficits. The hazards are many and when considering the use of alcohol during pregnancy, women need to be aware of the possibilities that their baby might suffer a lifetime as a result of mom’s drinking. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with increased risk for still birth, infant mortality, sudden infant death syndrome, preterm birth, and respiratory problems. Children with intra-uterine cocaine exposure showed deficits in executive function, impaired attention, language, and learning skills, as well as behavioral problems. Children with prenatal exposure to marijuana have poorer scores on intelligence tests, increased hyperactivity, externalizing problems and decreased attentiveness. The areas in the brain affected by METH showed impairments in the development, expression and control of affect, attention, language skills and cognition, and social relationships. So efforts should be directed to encourage mothers to stop substance use during pregnancy period, change social and behavioral habits of women and to use media to educate puplic about the devastating problem of dependence.